Thie "alligators" join cocktail and chopper-sized bluefish in the fall.
Sweet Summertime
As June hits, more bikini-clad beach bunnies are out sunning themselves on IBSP sands than there are surf rats casting into the suds, which could explain why the surfcasters on the beach aren’t casting so much as peering through binoculars and polarized sunglasses “checking the surf” for any activity! Nonetheless, the fishing is good, though you have to change your game plan to focus on the seasonal target species. With the majority of the spring population of stripers headed north for colder climes, the 70- to 80-degree water brings summer flounder right into the steep and deep undertow. Surf anglers armed with 1⁄4- to 1-ounce white or yellow bucktails, with white teaser combo rigs will undoubtedly be pulling flattie after flattie onto the beach. An occasional doormat over 10 pounds is taken, but mainly 1- to 4-pounders are hooked. Sunrise is the time for “cocktail” to chopper-sized bluefish. They mercilessly hammer metals or flies cast into the sunrise suds. Kingfish, blowfish and croakers round out the mix of summer species available for sand-spikers launching clams, bloodworms or sandworms. Summertime is prime time to pay attention to the backside of the island, too.
Barnegat Bay is a gold mine; the labyrinth of backwater channels can be fished from a kayak or on foot. Weakfish are the main attractions. Spike sizers of a pound to true tiderunners of 14 pounds hang tight along the IBSP backwater banks that can cut right down to 25 feet in some spots, though generally range from 6 to 20 feet deep. Grass shrimping is the best way to put up solid numbers of the spiketooths, but note that once the chum slick ignites a frenzy, a well-placed epoxy shrimp fly will result in a bent fly rod. Fluke fishermen hugging the backside IBSP banks by boat are rewarded with a world-class fluke fishery, as many of the infamous Barnegat Shoals including Tice’s Shoal and the Sedge Islands hold flatties on their ledges from May through September. Summertime is sweet indeed, on both sides of the island.
If You Go
From South Jersey, take Garden State Parkway to Exit 82, Route 37 East, follow signs to Seaside Heights and Island Beach State Park.
From North Jersey, take Garden State Parkway to Exit 98, follow Route 34 south, to Route 35 south to Island Beach State Park.
There are accommodations nearby, as well as other parks and state wildlife management areas. Listings for these, as well as other non-fishing-related activities in and around IBSP, can be found at www.stateparks.com/island_beach.html Contact IBSP for further info at (732) 793-0506.
Fantastic Fall Run
Enough is enough. Come October and lasting through early December, this barrier island fishery is nothing short of spectacular. The foolin’ around time is over, as the famous fall run is under way. The eye-popping baitfish stew includes adult menhaden, mullet, peanut bunker, sand eels, spearing, rainfish and anchovies. The schools form dark shadows that hug the coast. Gamefish explode on them with unbridled gluttony and the striped bass becomes the number-one Most Wanted species on the target list. Normally sluggish 30- to 50-pound stripers become aggressive and can be readily taken on plugs, poppers and swimming lures. The crashing madness in the surf is ideally sight fished, and it is now that fly rodders punch out Bob’s Bangers, Lefty’s Deceivers, or silicone mullet patterns. Pluggers score big stripers with A-Salt Black Bombers, Gibb’s Poppers and similar plugs. “Alligator” bluefish from 10 to 18 pounds explode on the bait schools as well and it can get disgustingly ugly, with plenty of lost line, lures and self-esteem.
The choice fall season spot to set up on is at the southernmost end of the island, on the quarter-mile-long North Jetty of Barnegat Inlet. There, northeast winds pin the bait schools against the rocks and they consequently get pummeled from voracious bass and blues. The appearance of false albacore, a.k.a. little tunny, and Spanish mackerel create a high octane option for surfcasters at this time of year, where the liquid-quick dynamos swim close enough to cast to. Try a one-ounce Crippled Herring metal in this situation. Fly rodders stand an excellent chance of taking the prize speedsters right from the sand, and enjoy the blistering, reel emptying runs. The tunny and Spanish run generally occurs from late August through September, so mark your calendar.
In fall, the emphasis goes from bait fishing to artificial lures. Tandem jigs catch 'em up.
In autumn a beach buggy battalion hits a maniacal level here and literally hundreds of decked out, rod-racked buggies will be runnin’ and gunnin’ along the sands chasing the bluefish and bass schools that erupt for 10 miles along the coast. The fall scene is like a Monster Truck race to chase birds. If you can’t handle the sick rush of full-on blitzing conditions where buggies are flying, birds are diving, surfcasting is tight, and the water is boiling and roiling with activity, then sit at home and watch a bass fishing show on TV. Island Beach State Park fishing during the fall months is nuts. It’s that simple.
